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Budgeting

Hair care products don’t have to break the bank to make your hair look and feel great. There are so many options for shampoo, conditioner, hair serums, hair masks, and anything else you can think of. You may find it hard to pick products out of the sea of choices in front of you. Here are a few great products you may want to try!

Dove Hair Therapy Dry Shampoo

This is a great, basic dry shampoo that smells fresh and leaves no white residue unlike a lot of other dry shampoos. It refreshes two and three-day-old hair and brings it back to life. Over-washing your hair strips away some of the good oils that keep your hair healthy, so dry shampoo is a great way to keep your hair feeling freshly washed without having to actually wash it everyday.

For those of you with dry scalp that are looking for a way to thicken your hair, give this a try. Not only does it work to thicken your hair at the root, it also helps with itchy and/or dry scalp. It’s a two in one!

This product is great for adding a bit of volume and texture to your hair without weighing it down. You can spray it on wet or dry hair for subtle beachy waves. It also smells like the ocean air, which is amazing!

This conditioner is amazing for color-treated hair. It keeps your hair healthy, which is essential if you dye your hair because of how much damage that does. It also helps add a bit of volume and smells like rosemary and mint. This conditioner is also 100% vegan!

This hairspray is great in any weather and smells amazing. It doesn’t have the standard hair spray scent, but actually has a bit of a citrus kick to it. It also makes your look beautifully shiny and feel extra-soft. And it has an impressively strong hold!

President Obama included a new repayment program for student loans in his 2016 budget proposal for Congress that will expand the income-based repayment plan put into place last summer.

“Let’s tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years- and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United Stated of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college,” said President Obama in his 2010 State of the Union address.

There are 40 million Americans with student loans which adds up to $1.2 trillion in outstanding debt.

Income-based repayment borrowers make payments based on their incomes and can qualify for loan forgiveness. The Education Department plans to make all borrowers eligible for a plan involving “pay as you earn.”

If you’re on a budget, and let’s face it most college students are, that doesn’t mean you should have to forego quality when it comes to beauty products. Here’s a list of some of the best budget-friendly beauty products I have come across over the last year! Enjoy!

1. Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick

The Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel are long lasting and highly pigmented. The shade 01 is a great red for pretty much any skin tone. These lipsticks go on easily and look beautiful. They retail for $4.99 at Target.

2. Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Eyeshadow

These are the best cream eyeshadows I’ve found not just in the drugstore, but in general. They last all day, don’t crease, and come in some great shades. My favorite shades are Bad to the Bronze and Inked in Pink. They make a great base, but are also great on their own. They retail for $6.99 at Ulta.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Rimmel has the best translucent powder out there! This powder lasts all day and controls shine and sets your makeup really well. They come in other shades as well, but the transparent one is my favorite for everyday use. They retail for $4.99 at Ulta.

4. NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder Kit

The NYX eyebrow kits come in a decent range of shades and each kit comes with two matte eyebrow powders and a clear brow gel to set your brows in place. They are super easy to apply and give a very natural look. They retail for $5.99 at Target.

5. Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

This is the best drugstore mascara on the market. It gives thick, full, long lashes and can be controlled so your lashes don’t clump. It also comes in waterproof, which is great for a long night. They retail for $5.94 at Walmart.

6. L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Concealer

The True Match collection from L’Oreal has a fantastic range of shades for every skin tone and are really easy to apply and blend. They are great for under the eyes and for covering up blemishes and imperfections. They retail for $7.59 at Target.

7. e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzer Duo

This is a great buy since you get two products in one. You get a great blush and a great bronzer. The bronzer is great for contouring as well as all-over use to add a nice tan, glow. The e.l.f. duo also makes a pretty good dupe for the Nars Blush & Bronzer duo! The e.l.f. duo retails for $3.00 at Target, while the Nars duo retails for $42.00 at Sephora.

8. Olay Fresh Effects Dew Over Hydrating Gel Moisturizer

This Olay moisturizer is great for everyday use. Moisturizing the skin is very important for your skin’s health and is a far-too-often forgotten part of the skin-care routine for many of us. Don’t leave out this terribly important step! One tub lasts for several months, so it is worth every penny. It retails for $12.99 at Target.

Internship, travel and plans-less this winter break? Here are some ideas to help you make the most out of your vacation (in a not-binging-Netflix-the-WHOLE-time sort of way!):

Look for summer internships!Or study abroad programs or jobs.Some applications are just opening up over winter break, so getting a head start on your search now might put you ahead of the game.

Clean up your resume!This is a project that can take an hour or 4 days. Making your resume stand out (without the pink paper and strawberry scent) can also put you ahead in an internship or job search.

Take a winter class!Get ahead in your studies and you might be able to graduate early (read: save money).

Get in shape!
If you never have time to hit the gym during the semester, try getting in shape over the break and then trying to stick to your routine when you return to school.

Learn a new skill!
Whether it’s learning to cook, play guitar, ride a bike, computer code, rock climb or speak Spanish, you’ve got free time and skills to learn!

Roadtrip with friends!
Find friends who also have a week or weekend and head someplace new!

Hundreds of college presidents from across the country joined President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Biden for the White House Summit to hear about new actions for students to prepare for college.

The White House hosted its second annual College Opportunity Day of Action, which focused on President Obama’s broadened agenda for higher education. The president plans to implement these steps:

1. Increasing Pell scholarships by $1,000 a year

2. Creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college

3. Limiting student loan payments to 10 percent of income

4. Laying out an ambitious agenda to reduce college costs and promote innovation and competition

The president also explained the need for increased investments in America’s community colleges and simplifying the FAFSA to make it easier for potential and current college students to apply for financial aid.